Producing Gari from Cassava - IITA
Transcript of Producing Gari from Cassava - IITA
Producing Gari from CassavaAn illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
B. James, R. Okechukwu, A. Abass, S. Fannah, B. Maziya-Dixon, L. Sanni, A. Osei-Sarfoh, S. Fomba, S. Lukombo
U P OCAUnleashing the power of cassava in Africa
his guide was produced by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), with support from the
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and he Technical Centre for Agricultural and
Rural Cooperation (CTA).
IITA
Africa has complex problems that plague agriculture and people’s lives. We develop agricultural solutions with
our partners to tackle hunger and poverty. Our award-winning research for development (R4D) is based on
focused, authoritative thinking anchored on the development needs of sub-Saharan Africa. We work with
partners in Africa and beyond to reduce producer and consumer risks, enhance crop quality and productivity,
and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is an international non-proit R4D organization established in
1967 and governed by a Board of Trustees. IITA is a member of the CGIAR Consortium.
USAID
he United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the United States federal government
agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID
in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programmes in the areas authorized by
the Congress in the Foreign Assistance Act. USAID seeks to extend a helping hand to those people overseas
struggling to make a better life, recover from a disaster or striving to live in a free and democratic country.
USAID operates in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Near East, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe,
and Eurasia.
CTA
he Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) is a joint international institution of
the African, Caribbean and Paciic (ACP) Group of States and the European Union (EU). Its mission is to
advance food and nutritional security, increase prosperity and encourage sound natural resource management
in ACP countries. It provides access to information and knowledge, facilitates policy dialogue and strengthens
the capacity of agricultural and rural development institutions and communities. CTA operates under the
framework of the Cotonou Agreement and is funded by the EU.
For more information on CTA, visit www.cta.int
UPoCA
he project Unleashing the Power of Cassava in Africa (UPoCA) draws on prior research results to increase
on-farm cassava productivity and value-added processing for markets in DR Congo, Ghana, Malawi,
Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. Funded by USAID, UPoCA aims to raise the incomes of
smallholder groups by providing improved cassava varieties and developing their production and processing
capacity, so they can produce cassava products at afordable prices. he project therefore contributes to
national eforts to stimulate rural economic growth and, at the same time, beneits the urban poor.
Producing Gari from CassavaAn illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
B. James, R. Okechukwu, A. Abass, S. Fannah, B. Maziya-Dixon, L. Sanni, A. Osei-Sarfoh, S. Fomba, S. Lukombo
U P OCAUnleashing the power of cassava in Africa
ISBN 978-978-8444-05-3
© 2012 International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), PMB 5320, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
www.iita.org
All rights reserved. he publisher encourages fair use of this material provided proper citation is made. No
reproduction, copy or transmission of this report may be made without written permission of the publisher.
Correct citation:
James, B., Okechukwu, R., Abass, A., Fannah, S., Maziya-Dixon, B., Sanni, L., Osei-Sarfoh, A., Fomba, S.
and Lukombo, S. 2012. Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors.
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA): Ibadan, Nigeria.
About the authorsBraima James, Manager, UPoCA Project, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA),
Freetown, Sierra Leone
Richardson Okechukwu, National Coordinator, UPoCA–Nigeria, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria
Adebayo Abass, Link Scientist, UPoCA Project, IITA, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Sylvanus Fannah, National Coordinator, UPoCA–Sierra Leone, IITA, Freetown, Sierra Leone
Bussie Maziya-Dixon, Link Scientist, UPoCA Project, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria
Lateef Sanni, Link Scientist, UPoCA Project, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
Angela Osei-Sarfoh, National Coordinator, UPoCA–Ghana, IITA, Accra, Ghana
Sahr Fomba, Link Scientist, UPoCA–Project, Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute, Njala, Sierra Leone
Simon Lukombo, National Coordinator, UPoCA–DR Congo, IITA, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Acknowledgementshe information provided in this handbook is based on experience gained during the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) and IITA project: Unleashing the Power of Cassava in Africa in Response
to the Food Price Crisis (UPoCA), implemented between 2008 and 2010. he project was an inter-institutional
partnership, involving 55 research-for-development organizations and 11 private sector companies in the
Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. he
authors are immensely grateful to USAID for funding the project and to Irish Aid with the World Food
Programme Purchase for Progress (P4P) initiative for gari market linkage support. We would also like to thank
all project staf, collaborators, subcontractors, partner organizations and individuals who provided facilities,
information, advice and other services used in the production of this guide.
Contents
Introduction 1
Objectives of the guide 2
The factory 3
Machines and equipment 5
Skills 7
Step 1: Peeling and washing 8
Step 2: Grating roots into mash 11
Step 3: De-watering and fermenting mash into wet cake 14
Step 4: Sieving wet cake into grits and roasting grits into gari 16
Step 5: Bagging and storing the gari 20
Hygiene compliance 22
Summary 24
Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
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Introduction
Rapid urbanization throughout sub-Saharan Africa is
currently being accompanied by a growth in demand
for convenience foods. Cassava roots provide an
ideal raw material for many of these types of food
products, since they are easy to process and have a
bland lavour. However, fresh cassava roots are bulky
and costly to carry and, in addition, are likely to rot
within a few days of harvesting.
Cassava roots contain cyanide, which is poisonous.
Diferent varieties of cassava contain diferent
amounts of cyanide. Roots that contain high
amounts of cyanide normally taste bitter and should
not be eaten raw, while the roots of ‘sweet’ varieties
contain low levels of cyanide and can be eaten raw.
Cassava roots can be processed into several diferent
products, which include gari, lour, bread and starch.
Processing provides smallholder cassava producers
with additional market opportunities, beyond simply
selling the fresh roots. Once they have invested in
suitable equipment, processing enables smallholders
to increase their incomes, since they can demand a
higher price for the value-added processed products.
Traditional methods of processing cassava roots
can result in poor quality products that contain
unacceptable levels of cyanide, as well as being
contaminated by foreign matter and disease-causing
agents. If people eat these kinds of products, they
can sufer from acute cyanide poisoning, goiter,
and a nerve-damaging disorder that makes them
unsteady and unable to walk properly.
Proper processing converts fresh cassava roots into
safer and more marketable products by:
• Reducing cyanide levels in the processed products
• Prolonging shelf life
• Reducing post-harvest losses of fresh cassava roots
• Avoiding contamination of the products and the
environment
Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
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his pictorial guide focuses on building the capacity
of smallholder farmers and food processors to
produce gari as a business. he guide illustrates
the equipment and skills needed to produce good
quality gari. By following this guide, smallholder
cassava processors will be able to respond to market
opportunities and create a loyal customer base. Field
agents who support value-added cassava processing
will also ind the guide useful for training.
he guide uses photographs to explain the following
topics, in a form that can be readily understood by
both literate and illiterate cassava processors:
• Design of smallholder cassava processing centres
or factories
• Selection of appropriate machines to improve
the quality of products and expand market
potential
• Techniques required to produce good quality gari
• Good hygiene practices.
• Increasing the nutritional value of cassava (e.g., by adding grain legumes during processing)
• Increasing the market value of cassava
• Reducing transport costs.
Gari is one of many diferent kinds of food products that can be produced from fresh cassava roots. Gari is
dry, crispy, creamy-white and granular. It is made from cassava roots that have been crushed into a mash,
fermented and sieved into small pieces (known as grits). he grits are then roasted or fried to make the inal
crispy product. Gari is a popular food in West Africa and is fast becoming a marketable product.
Objectives of the guide
Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
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The factory
Smallholder cassava processing centres or factories play an important role in national food industries and must
maintain strict hygiene. his will become increasingly important as the number of cassava factories grows.
Cassava processors are therefore advised to maintain good hygiene, not only to protect the health of their
customers, but also to protect the reputation and future business of the processing industry.
Toilet and washroom
Soakaway
Fermentation racks
Root peeling and washing shed
(dirty area)
Waterwell
Dryer
Store
Gari fryingPresses
WET AREA DRY AREA
SieveMill
Grater
Trough
Grinder
Floor plan for a smallholder cassava processing factory
his loor plan illustrates a possible layout for a smallholder cassava processing factory. It can be modiied
according to the needs of the business:
• he size can be larger or smaller
• Diferent cassava processing pathways can be adapted into a single system, enabling the processor to
produce a wide range of cassava products
• Changing rooms for workers can be located inside or outside the main building, but toilets should be
separate
• he water source or well should be outside the main buiding
• he store should not be too large and only the processed cassava products should be stored there to
minimise the risk of contamination.
Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
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he factory should be located away from the family’s
living quarters. It should have at least two separate
doors, one for the delivery of raw materials and the
others through which inished products are taken
away. he walls can be made of reinforced mud or
clay bricks (e.g., simveram bricks) or cement bricks.
he loor should be made of concrete. here should
be two separate areas of looring: wet and dry.
Wet area he wet area is where fresh cassava roots are made
into wet cake or chips. he equipment and machines
used for peeling, washing, grating roots into a mash
and removing excess water are installed here. he
loor and washing trough should be lined with
ceramic loor tiles. hese are easy to keep clean and
will help the processors maintain good hygiene
conditions.
Dry areahe dry area is where inished cassava products
are made from wet cakes or chips. he dry section
houses machines used for breaking and sieving wet
cakes, roasting wet cake particles into gari, drying
and milling. he inal products are packed and
stored here too. he dry area can be tiled, but this is
not essential.
Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
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Machines and equipment
Diferent machines and types of equipment are used for the diferent stages and types of processing. Table 1
lists the types and capacity of some machines commonly used to produce gari from cassava. Before buying
equipment, the processor should ind out about the product qualities required by the market, to ensure they
produce the most suitable product.
Table 1: Equipment for producing gari
Name/function Capacity Key features required and common problems
Cassava root
peeler
2 tonnes/hour Manual or motorised; labour intensive
Motorised grater 2 tonnes/hour Robust frame; stainless steel grating drum/blades; chute; this is
an essential item in cassava factories, requires regular cleaning and
maintenance
Wooden
fermentation
racks
Number of bags held
depends on length and
strength of racks
Robust frame to prevent breakage and collapse; requires periodic cleaning
to remove starch layers and dirt
Presses for
de-watering
cassava mash
Number of bags held
depends on size of press
Robust frame; needs to be serviced occasionally
Manual or
mechanical sifters
0.2 tonnes/day for
manual and 1 tonne/day
for mechanical sifter
Hole size varies according to grade of gari; manual sieve needs careful
handling to prevent holes becoming too large
Improved gari
roasting bays
3–6 kg per load,
depending on size of tray
Stainless steel material for roasting tray; galvanised steel chimney pipes;
tiled roasting bays; poorly installed bays tend to crack and allow smoke to
enter the processing factory
Grinder 250 kg powder/hour Standard stainless steel grinding surfaces
Bag stitching
machine
1 bag/minute Single stitch or double stitch; regular maintenance required; needs a
2 KVA generator to supply power
Weighing scale 100 to 150 kg capacity Simple to use; needs cleaning and occasional re-setting
Impulse sealer for
polythene sachets
100 packs/hour Simple to use; needs a 2 KVA generator; heating element may need to be
replaced at regular intervals
Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
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A motorized grater used to crush cassava roots into a wet mash
A hydraulic press used to
remove excess water from
cassava mash
An automatic gari roaster is ideal for producing large volumes of gari
The buyer should check that all cassava processing machines have stainless steel surfaces where they are in direct contact with the cassava roots. If these parts are made from mild steel, they will rust quickly and contaminate the gari.
Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
7 Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
Skills
For most cassava varieties, a processor can expect to produce 1 tonne of gari from 4 tonnes of fresh cassava
roots. For cassava varieties or clones with a high dry matter content (e.g., variety TME 419), a processor can
expect to produce 1 tonne of gari from 3 tonnes of fresh cassava roots. Processing cassava roots into gari takes
several steps, and processors need to develop their skills in each of the following:
• Peeling and washing cassava roots
• Grating cassava roots into mash
• De-watering and fermenting mash into wet cake
• Sieving wet cake into grits and roasting grits into gari
• Bagging and storing the gari
• Maintaining good hygiene compliance.
Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
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Step 1: Peeling and washing cassava roots
Freshly harvested cassava roots are covered with soil and dirt and some may be damaged or rotten. Only
healthy roots (without rot or other damage) should be transported to the factory. At the factory, the roots are
peeled to remove the outer brown skin and inner thick cream layer and washed to remove stains and dirt. he
water source should be checked regularly to ensure it is not dirty or contaminated.
Items needed :
Fresh, undamaged cassava roots
Means of transporting the roots to the factory
Clean, sharp knives
Source of clean, good quality water
Set of assorted clean containers
Plastic scourer
Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
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Peeling
Select fresh cassava roots without rot or damage. Use a sharp knife to peel the roots and remove the skin.
Remove any damaged or woody parts from the roots.
Do not shave the roots because you will cut off too much and reduce the amount of gari produced
Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
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Washing
Wash the peeled roots in clean
water
Do not use water from open and unprotected sources, since this could introduce contamination
Gently scrub the roots with
the scourer to remove pieces of
unpeeled skin and dirt
Make sure the washed roots are
clean with no spots
Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
11 Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
Items needed:
Washed and spotless roots in a
clean container
Do not process roots that are rotten or damaged
Step 2: Grating cassava roots into mash
Cassava roots are traditionally grated into a mash or pulp as part of the
process to remove cyanide and make the roots safe to eat. Traditional
cassava graters are usually made from perforated metal sheets. hese rust
quickly and are diicult to keep clean. hey are also very slow and labour
intensive to use.
Mechanized graters are needed to produce a suicient quantity of cassava
mash to meet market demands and standards. Smallholder processors
therefore need to learn how to use and maintain these machines.
12 Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
Items needed (continued):
A motorised grater with a
stainless steel grating drum.
Petrol or diesel to power the
grater.
he grating drum and all food
contact areas should be made
from stainless steel
Do not use grater drums made from mild steel; these will rust and contaminate the processed product
Clean woven polythene sacks
to hold the cassava mash after
grating
Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
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Grating
Wash the sacks after use, dry and store them in a clean dry place Wash them again before using the next time
Load the grater with washed roots
while the engine is running to
crush the roots into a mash
Do not use your bare hands to push the cassava roots against the grating drum as this may cause injury
Collect the mash in a clean bowl
and then pour the mash into a
clean polythene sack
14 Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
Step 3: De-watering and fermenting mash into wet cake
De-watering and fermenting
complete the process of removing
cyanide from the cassava mash.
his is done traditionally by using
stones or logs as weights to press
excess water out of the bags of
cassava mash. he bags are then
left to drain and ferment for a few
days. As with traditional graters,
these methods are slow and
unhygienic, and are therefore not
suitable for a cassava processing
business. Several improved
methods are available.
Items needed:
Bagged cassava mash can be left on the fermentation rack for one or more days before de-watering.
Alternatively, the bags of cassava mash can be pressed for the required number of days, during which time the
mash will ferment. At the end of the fermentation period, the mash will become a irm, wet cake.
Fermentation periods of longer than one or two days will produce very sour products. Consumer tastes and
preferences will therefore determine the length of the fermentation period.
A fermentation rack A hydraulic press (left) or screw press (right) (here they are on display
outside the factory)
15 Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
Always de-water the cassava mash in the wet area of the factory, using one of the following methods:
Load the bags of cassava mash on to the
fermentation rack and allow the milky water
to drain freely from the bags. At the end of the
fermentation period, remove the bags of mash
from the rack and press them with a hydraulic
press or screw press.
Load the bags directly on to a hydraulic press. Lift
and press the jack handle up and down until it
becomes hard to move. Repeat the process several
times each day until no more water comes out of
the bag to produce a irm wet cake.
You can also de-water the mash using a screw
press. Turn the handle clockwise to force water
from the bag.
When a press is used on the bare ground the waste water will not drain away properly and the area will get dirty. The bags of cassava mash could also become contaminated by the dirt.
When water stops dripping from the bags and the
surface of the bag is still moist, you can remove
the irm wet cake from the press
Ensure suficient water has been removed, otherwise the gari will form into lumps during roasting. But, if too much water is removed, the gari will not cook properly during roasting, becoming loury instead.
16 Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
Step 4: Sieving wet cake into grits and roasting grits into gari
Gari is made by sieving the wet cake into small pieces – known as grits – and then roasting or frying the grits
in a hot frying tray or pan to form the inal dry and crispy product. Gari is normally white or cream, but will
be yellow when made from yellow cassava roots or when fried with palm oil. It is important to make sure the
taste and smell is acceptable to local consumers. Yellow cassava roots and palm oil are rich in vitamin A and
therefore make nutritious gari.
he product should be free from mould, insects (dead or alive), dirt and any other material that could be
hazardous to health.
Gari is usually classiied by its particle size:
• Extra-ine: passes through 0.25 mm to 0.5 mm aperture sieve
• Fine: passes through 0.5 mm to 1 mm aperture sieve
• Coarse: passes through 1 mm to 1.25 mm aperture sieve
• Extra coarse: passes through 1.25 mm to 2.0 mm aperture sieve.
Items needed:
A gari sieve made from stainless
steel mesh
A gari roasting bay with a shallow stainless steel tray or a moulded
aluminium pot. he tray should be mounted on simveram or mud
bricks rather than cement bricks, since these are more heat eicient.
he tray should have a tiled surround so the area can be kept clean.
17 Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
Breaking and sieving
Remove the cassava wet cake
from the bag
Break the wet cake into small
pieces (grits) using a grater or a
sieve with an aperture size of
1.5–2.0 mm. his can also be
done by hand.
Sieve the pieces of wet cake to
remove any ibrous material
18 Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processor
In the improved gari roasting bay, fuel wood, wood
shavings, charcoal or other readily available suitable
material is lit through a ireplace on the outside of
the factory wall, away from direct contact with the
processor
Roasting
he ire heats the stainless steel tray sitting on a
raised platform above the ireplace inside the factory,
providing the heat for roasting the gari
Heat the tray and load it with a batch of grits. Stir
the batch with a wooden spatula. he gari is ready
when it turns into dry, creamy granules.
Clean the surface of the roasting tray and smear
it with a thin layer of edible oil (e.g., palm oil or
cooking oil)
Collect the gari from the roasting pan when it is dry, leaving a small amount of gari in the tray. This helps to roast the next batch.
Smoke generated from the ire underneath the tray
escapes through a galvanized steel chimney pipe to
the top of the roof
19 Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
If the ire is not hot enough, the gari will not cook properly and will become white (bottom of picture). If it is too hot, the gari will burn (top right). The gari at top left was cooked correctly.
Traditional gari roasting bays expose processors to direct heat, smoke and fumes. Over the long term, this may affect the health of the processor and their family.
Do not use a mild steel tray for roasting gari. This will rust and contaminate the gari.
Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
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Step 5: Bagging and storing the gari
Use a grinder to break the large granules into
smaller ones
Remove the gari from the roasting tray and spread
it thinly on a raised platform in the open air to cool
and dry. Several batches can be put on the cooling
tray.
Sieve the gari with a standard size sieve to produce
ine granules, which are collected in a plastic bowl
Large granules (on the left) should be broken into
smaller granules (on the right)
Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
21 Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
Weigh the sack of gari to make
sure it is the correct weight, as
required by the market: e.g.,
25 kg, 50 kg or 65 kg. Seal the
sack manually or with a bag sealer
(if available) to keep the gari
clean and fresh during storage.
Pile the sacks on pallets or a
raised platform and keep them
in a cool, dry place; the gari will
keep for up to a year in these
conditions
When the gari granules are all
the same size, pour the gari into
a plastic lining inside a woven
polythene sack
Do not use a woven sack without the plastic lining because the gari will absorb moisture and lose its crispiness; it will also become mouldy and unsaleable
Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
22
Clean the grater by pouring water into the hopper
while the engine is running for a few minutes
Do not leave the grater dirty; always clean it before and after use, otherwise the dirt will contaminate the next batch of gari
Hygiene compliance
Maintaining good hygiene is vital for the health of the customers and the processors, as well as to build and
maintain the processor’s reputation, encourage repeat business and grow sales.
Personal and factory hygiene
All staf must maintain good personal hygiene,
especially when handling inished products. his
includes cleaning machines thoroughly before and
after use.
Keep your ingernails short and clean
Do not allow people with long or dirty ingernails to work inside the factory
Dress in clean clothing, wear a head scarf or cap and remove all jewellery. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap before starting work, after meal breaks and especially after using the toilet.
The wet area of the factory should be tiled for easy cleaning. Wash the loor of the factory at the end of every day with plenty of water and ensure the water lows into a soakaway, not straight onto the ground outside the factory. Clean cobwebs and dust from the inside of the roof, windows, walls and corners once a week.
Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
23
Environmental hygiene
Gather all cassava peels. When dried, they can be
fed to livestock, e.g., goats and pigs. Cassava peels
can also be used as a mulch to control nematodes in
vegetable plots and as part of the substrate used to
produce edible mushrooms.
Do not leave cassava peels and other waste at the processing site as this creates a dirty environment
Do not throw cassava peels on waste dumps. They will rot and create a bad smell as well as attracting lies and germs.
Do not allow the wastewater to low straight onto the ground next to the factory; this will make the surroundings dirty and promote the spread of germs
Collect the milky wastewater from the fermentation
bags in a bowl placed underneath the fermentation
rack or by the side of the press. Starch in the milky
wastewater will collect at the bottom of the bowl and
can be collected, cleaned, then sold as a useful by-
product.
Alternatively, channel the water into in a soakaway
just outside the factory
24 Producing Gari from Cassava: An illustrated guide for smallholder cassava processors
Summary
To build a successful gari production business, you need to:
1. Check out the factors that matter most to your prospective customers, e.g., taste, smell, colour, price,
pack sizes.
2. Treat your processing centre or factory as a part of the national food industry, which means keeping it
clean and ensuring all staf maintain strict personal hygiene, as well as disposing of waste materials
properly.
3. Select and use appropriate processing equipment, making sure all equipment has stainless steel
surfaces where it is in contact with the cassava. Keep all equipment clean and in good working order.
4. Choose cassava varieties with a high dry matter content, since these will produce more gari.
5. Learn improved techniques and develop your skills in each of the gari production steps.
Credits
Cover photo: Gari market, Bo, Sierra Leone (B. James/IITA)
All photos: B. James/IITA
Research and drafting: IITA
Editing and proofreading: Green Ink (www.greenink.co.uk)
Design and layout: Green Ink with Remi O. Waheed Yussuf (www.witmultimedia.com)
Printing: Pragati Ofset Pvt. Ltd
his illustrated guide has been produced speciically for smallholder processors. Developed by a network of
scientists in Africa, it aims to provide the knowledge needed to produce gari of suitable quality for markets.
Extension agents will also ind the guide useful in their work with smallholder groups, to facilitate value-added
processing of cassava. he handbook is based on experience gained by IITA researchers during implementation
of the Unleashing the Power of Cassava in Africa (UPoCA) project, funded by the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID).
ISBN 978-978-8444-05-3